Introduction

Media is a communication tool which is highly used for storage and delivery information within a fraction of seconds to the dwellers of every look and corners of the world. Based on the types of media, characteristics, role and impact of usage are depended. The most commonly known three types of media are print, electronic (Broadcast) and New Age (Internet). In India, the first print media emerged in 1674, (Bombay printing press) Following that the radio, Films took place in 1923. Finally, the advent of the Internet brought the footprint of New Age Media in 1995. It was launched by Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited. Every media has its characteristics, and it could be strongly stated that none of the criteria depicts completely its critical role in developing the nation, as there occurs several inbuilt politics which highly impacts the three stages of adolescence in the youth of our nation (Shodhganga, 2012).

Figure 1: Emergence of three different types of media in India

Youth as a Chameleon of parents

The transmission of youths as the chameleon of their parents are highly noticed as the first impact of broadcast media (television), Through several types of research, it was found that children being at their early adolescence stage (10-14) tense to inbuilt the character and mould them like the lead characters and role models watched by the parents in the television. Most of the broadcasting information in television is highly meant for parents alone to be watched. Even the advertisements for commercial products are focusing on adult concepts for attaining increased TRP (Television Rating Point) rate (Patti M. Valkenburg, 2017).

Figure 2: A child posing as a miniature adult (Patti M. Valkenburg, 2017)

Role of media at knife-edge Age (Early adolescent stage)

Early adolescence is the stage where millions of hormones work tirelessly at an energetic stage. At this stage, the prefrontal cortex and white matters (Neurons) of the adolescent brain undergo several changes and develops according to the impact imposed upon them. Here, the media plays an extensive role in modifying the behavioural aspects of youth. The increase in white matter occurs due to positive impact such as encouragement, positive vibes of achievement via advertisement and commercialisation, education, etc. The prefrontal cortex develops negative vibes like immature behaviour, unstructured patterns and confused decision-making tendencies due to the exposure of negative impacts of media such as triggering of sex hormones at early and middle adolescence stage Due to addiction of pornography, increased sexual interest through WhatsApp chats with peer mates ( other sex), broadcasting of hectic reports such as murder, rape, suicide, accidents would engulf scattered waves of behaviours in their neurons which triggers the youth to impose negative role model for their life (Signe Bray, 2015).

Figure 3: Diagrammatic representation of prefrontal cortex and white matters in the neurons of an adolescent’s brain (ucdneuropsychologylab, 2018)

Pornography addiction

The youths are triggered more towards the contents of media. Huge researches state the fact that the media entertainments like films, seasonal songs, advertisements, fashions, trends and so many of the current scenario highly target the early adolescence state of youths.  Media contents focusing on sarcasm and irony in shows such as Tosh, O, South Park, Split villa builds complex humour within the adolescents. Especially the boys at this stage becomes highly stuck to the adults' concepts encouraged by media's such as taboo, absurdist, irrelevant humour and enhancement of gay marriages (Starbucks recent campaign), etc., makes them reflect in their behaviour which finally collapses their life. Apart from these impacts, media paved a way for the adolescent girls and boys to satisfy their sexual knowledge through television shows like American pie series, A-rated Indian series and films of the varied genre (Gary W. Harper, 2015).

Contribution of social media towards the adults and youngsters

Social media is the fastest trending and widely using communication tool which is extensively meant for sharing and collecting information through several applications especially WhatsApp, Twitter Facebook, Instagram and Cloud Meeting Applications (TEAMS, Google MEET, and ZOOM). The current scenario especially the pandemic hours of the 2020 year is tremendously depended on social media applications for varied purposes. In that aspect, we can interpret more positive and negative impacts for the youths. Owing to the positive impacts, Social media are highly supporting the youngsters to pursue their studies at home. They can attend their regular classes in the zoom or TEAM applications. Even webinars, e-quiz are conducted by several worldwide institutions. The application like TikTok, ShareIt and many more entertains the adolescents during the Pandemic hours of COVID 19 (Faizi, 2013). Twitter is the main platform used by politicians, citizens, authorities and higher officials for publishing solid and true information regarding the happenings around the world. It, in turn, creates arousal and aggressiveness into the minds of youngsters because of vulgar comments, groups and various phobias. Media critics are diverting the young minds towards vengeance. Fake news during pandemic hours (COVID 19 period) is highly depressing the youngster’s thought about their future careers. As said by the researcher Uma Rani, the social media act as a King and the users should impose the exact knowledge to control and rule the King (P. Uma Rani, 2019).

Pool for cyberbullying, online harassment, sexting and depression

The hectic impact of media on youth could be recognized highly in cyberbullying and online harassment. The teens are becoming prey for the keen eyes who mock and embarrass others through false communication tending them to be isolated, depressed, anxious and finally to kill them self. Similarly, sexting has been becoming prominent especially among the 20s adolescents. Sexting is the act of sending sex-related messages, photos, through cell phones or any other digital devices. Research surveys conducted on sexting resulted that 20% of adolescence who are unaware of this are becoming victimized due to random distribution of sex images and adult content of sex. Children of early adolescence above 10 years are threatened and charged for this act as juvenile law misdemeanours. Moreover, these behaviours of sexting incidence throw them out from school as perpetrators under the criteria of ill mental behaviour and unsteady health condition (Hinduja S, 2010).

Media the tool to reveal the Mask for Young politicians

Far across the 19^th century, the 20^th century has printed the feet of young minds in the participation of political activities due to the emerging and prevailing political issues faced by them via Media. The portrayal of political conflicts through forecasting and publishing on television and social media are triggering the young minds to show their rights and deliver their opinion in the form of participatory politics. Social media like Twitter, Blogs, has tremendous impacting the young citizens to mock at wrong and hike at right. They start to transfer their entire characteristics like the politicians whom they see as their role model. Apart from pride, Self-reliant youngsters are deliberately seen in Social media platform where they are neither screwed by any politicians nor guided by traditional parties. Thorough research about political engagement of Young Indians resulted that the increased number of voting are recorded by the members of participatory politics. Though it provides wide opportunities for young Indians to take part in political activities, the maximum percentage of adolescents are highly interested and involved in using social media for chatting and discussing, entertainments, cricket, cinema and any trendy fashion stuffs. This type of boosting distracts the young minds adversely (Middaugh, 2012).

Media’s Violence triggering adolescent aggression

Several researchers have stressed media violence as a crucial impact for youths and children at their adolescent stage. The violence focused through media is manipulating the tiny minds which grow and indulge in criminal crimes. Media plays a leadership role for the crimes committed by adolescents all around the world as they are influenced by the characters portrayed in movies, shows, and even in animated pictures where the violence and brutal done by heroes are appreciated. The very worst part of media is the violence animated in Games which tremendous impact the adolescents to copycat the crimes & implement in the society without any humanity. The current scenario attests many cases of young criminals who kill their peer mates in schools and colleges including the teaching faculties with the influence of killer games, especially the Blue Whale game. One of the dead scam video game Blue Whale has swayed thousands of youngsters life by killing them self. More than six hundred studies have been conducted on the impact and effect of media violence in triggering the aggressive behaviour of an adolescent. Many scholars have researched the indirect aggression of adolescents due to exposure to media violence (Tom Grimes, 2008).

Methods
Experimental analysis method

1. Pornography addiction: Pornography addiction is very effectively seen in youths who are under the adolescent stage. It is mainly due to the increased secretion of sexual hormones and the thirst to fulfil their sexual needs. This triggering of hormones would drastically affect the academic as well as the normal lifestyle of the youngsters. It was easily understood through the experimental analysis of researcher Patti who conducted research on set of 13 years old adolescents of both genders (Male and female) in industrial countries along with his peer mates. Their survey contained several criteria like sources, purpose and gender which were finally tabulated to detect the impacts of sexual attitudes due to media among youngsters (Gary W. Harper, 2015).

2. Media and Violence: The very best experiment for determining the impact of media violence on adolescents could be understood from the work of researcher Leonard Eron and his co-workers. They have conducted a causal correlation and field experiment on a set of eight years old children. They made the group to watch violence-filled movies on the television and observed their interest in violence and their change in aggressive behaviour (Tom Grimes, 2008).

Survey analysis method (current study)

1. Social Media exposure: Because of widespread of Corona Virus, a field experiment was not possible to conduct for this research. Instead, a survey analysis regarding the usage of social media application among 15 selective participants of varied colleges under the age of 18- 24 were made through an online platform. They were given a set of questions where they are asked to fill the time used for spending 5 main applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Cloud Meeting applications along with the purposes. Each participant was given a code number with the first three letters of their name along with a numerical number 1 for female and 2 for male participants. The percentage and mean for the applications upon which an increased hour spent and the purpose of them were analysed for the study.

Table 1: List of participants participated in survey analysis of social media exposure along with their age and sex

2. Print and Broadcast media exposure: Same like social media, a survey analysis on the dependence of criteria such as TV shows, Movies, Video games, Print media, Radio and Computer and CD among 15 participants between the ages of 8- 18 were conducted. Their percentages were calculated to determine the increased impact of youths on broadcast and print media (S. Liliana Escobar-Chaves, 2005).

3. Political impact: the political impact and the participation of youth were analysed through a set of online questions which were asked to be filled by the selected 220 participants by the researcher Ana Pap and his co-workers. Their results were standard deviated and tabulated to depict their political impact attained due to media exposure by scaling their opinion for the following questions (ANA PAP, 2018).

• I am interested in politics

• Politics means a lot to me

• Politics is an important part of my life.

Result

Experimental study

The research of author Patti and his co-worker in usage and addiction of pornography stated that approximately 20% girls (thirteen years old) and 50% boys (thirteen years old) are stick towards a deliberate usage of porn websites and among them, 82% of boys and 74% of girls have extensively searched for semi-nude sexy pictures in the industrial countries.

Table 2: Tabulation on Pornography addiction percentage of adolescent girls and boys along with their purpose

The correlative analysis of violent behaviour in adolescents resulted in increased aggressive behaviour on the same object (initial study) after ten years. The eight years old children showed more aggressive behaviour in their eighteen years which was due to their impact of watching violence movie in their adolescent age.

Survey analysis study on Media

Table 3 shows an usage analysis of 6 female and 11 male adolescents during home quarantine due to COVID 19 pandemic, it was found that most of them have spent their time chatting with friends and families. For which they have used the platform WhatsApp. The total usage hours of 15 participants for WhatsApp were 91hours 15 minutes. Similarly, for Instagram, it was 51 hours 50 minutes. The main purpose of using Instagram was for Entertainment, playing games and sharing videos. Meanwhile, some of them have used both the applications for business purpose. In between, Facebook and Twitter showed 25 hours 10 minutes and 6hours of total usage depicting the least interest of youths towards politics and worldly affairs. The cloud Meeting applications has benefitted them for remote study, business meet depicting a total usage of 11hours and 15 minutes. Video games are the foremost target of Media towards youths especially the adolescent boys of 8- 18 years. The table 3 shows that 93% of adolescents (10 boys) are addicted to video games while 73% for computer and CDs. The adolescent girls are prone to TV shows (66%) radio programmes (46%) and print media (40%). Both the sex showed equal usage analysis in watching movies with 53% (Table 4).

Table 3: Average daily time spent by 18-24 years old youths to each medium along with its percentage

Graph 1: Graphical representation of social media exposure among 15 participants

Table 4: Average daily time spent by adolescents of 8- 18 years old per day to each medium under age and sex

Graph 2: Graphical representation of Print and broadcast media exposure among 15 participants

The descriptive statistics of political impacts of youth’s participation in media interpret with their concern on political activities and to build a self-reliant India (table 6). The reliability analysis of youth’s participation in political activities resulted in the low interest of adolescents and the youngsters as they are more prone to utilize Facebook and Instagram where the discussion of political issues are very low (table 6). They are highly addicted and interested in sharing pictures, chatting with friends, listening to music and watching movies. Table 5 depicts a description of samples used for political impact survey.

Table 5: sample description

Table 6: Reliability analysis of the construct (ANA PAP, 2018)

Graph 3: Graphical representation of Youth’s interest in politics (ANA PAP, 2018)

Discussion

Our prime minister has initiated a scheme of building a Self-reliant India through five “I”s such as inclusion, investment, infrastructure, intent and innovation, for which Youths are considered as a tomb of our nation. But, the research reveals a dilemma whether their interventions are to built or destruct a self-reliant India. The term self-reliant indicates the relaying on one’s own willing power. (Sharma, 2020). But, the media has been a root cause to bring out a negative self- reliance of adolescents where they become more depressed and violent. The tragic suicide of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput who allegedly killed himself on June 14, 2020, was due to depression. Media played a sarcastic role in revealing out the nepotism dug in his case (Digital, 2020). Exposure to sexual contents on early adolescent stage triggers the intense to commit sexual crimes like gang rape of a 22 years old girl in the running Patna Bhabua intercity express train (OSAC, 2020). The paper reveals that 82% of girls and 74% of adolescent boys are addicted to pornography (Gary W. Harper, 2015) . The main reason for less political participation is the trick of advertising campaigns and entertaining movies. The advertisements consider youths and adolescents as their target market. Media is the platform which highlights the tragic incidents which are against our nation. Simultaneously, it focuses on other issues to dump the previously forwarded information to safeguard some other important VIPS. These type of multiple activities of media's are tirelessly affecting the young minds resulting in loss of hope, interest and patriotism towards the nation alternatively building communal vengeance, political phobias’ and hypnotic characteristics (Melis, 2017). The negative participation of youth is seen in the recent Jawaharlal Nehru University attack of 50-70 mobs of other parties (OSAC, 2020). Table 3 and 6 show the least usage of Twitter and Facebook applications by youths for political activities. Apart from negative aspects, the deeper benefits of social media for adolescence are seen in providing millions of opportunity for viewing themselves, community, political figures and world. Social opportunities of raising funds for poor and needy through forwarding messages, online campaigns, motivate the adolescence to strive for the welfare of the society. They even actively take part in Political and philanthropic events which inbuilt patriotic intention towards the nation. Blogs, podcasts, videos, collective creativity and publishing of diverse background information foster adolescence to take worth steps in their life by building respect, tolerance, self-respect and unique individual identity with social skills (Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe, 2020). The current survey research showed the active participation of adolescents in the usage of social applications for business and studies purposes. It is in the hands of parents to mould their adolescent child into a responsible youth to build a Self Reliant India by neglecting the negative and exposing the positive aspects of Media.